Bradford City's prime target is to bypass the play-offs next season

IT is in the German mindset to be practical and clear-sighted.
Bradford City co-owners Edin Rahic, left, and Stefan Rupp celebrate after reaching Wembley (Picture: PA).Bradford City co-owners Edin Rahic, left, and Stefan Rupp celebrate after reaching Wembley (Picture: PA).
Bradford City co-owners Edin Rahic, left, and Stefan Rupp celebrate after reaching Wembley (Picture: PA).

Amid the deep-seated disappointment of Bradford City’s League One play-off final loss to Millwall at Wembley on Saturday, it was Bantams co-owner Stefan Rupp who provided a defined sense of perspective at just how far the club had travelled in 2016-17, while mapping out its future aims.

Rupp’s succinct analysis of the season-that-was represented something that few of a claret-and-amber persuasion could really disagree with, with his theory that a plethora of draws crippled City’s quest to the top two being evident to many.

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As was his logic that an infusion of quality in key areas to help turn a few more draws into wins could fuel a drive for the automatic promotion places in League One next season.

Given the experiences of the past two campaigns when City have bowed out to Millwall in successive years, that route would hold considerable appeal to the club’s followers.

Rupp said: “This should be our goal. We had too many draws this season. It was 19 draws and that was too many to be involved for the automatic spot.

“But if you can put it into perspective, only 10 points more and then we were in the game.

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“We will be sitting down and having discussions. On Saturday, we were not lucky and missed that little bit of luck.”

Saturday was indeed a finale that left 24,000 Bradfordians in rueful mood and somewhat crestfallen, but, for Rupp, it was also a time to consider what City have achieved in 2016-17, which has surpassed all expectations, by common consent.

Rupp and fellow co-owner Edin Rahic only celebrated their first anniversary in charge at Valley Parade yesterday – but their maiden 12 months at the helm went tantalisingly close to ushering a Championship return for the first time since 2003-04, with Rupp being the first to admit the pair were not seriously envisaging a promotion push when they took over last May.

Rupp added: “When we started, we said: ‘okay, if we end in mid-table, it is perfectly fine for our first year in the business.’

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“There is not much room to complain. The team has done everything and the manager has, from my point of view, come on, and it was a massive thing just to be at Wembley.

“It was a great experience and I thank all our fans, supporters, manager and the whole team because they really delivered.

“Of course, everybody is disappointed as it was a missed chance and we could be in the Championship with this enormous amount of TV money involved. But we tried.

“Ten or £12m is a whole different story than if you are playing in three (League One). But we have a long-term agenda and while it has not happened this year, we won’t go away.

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“To be at Wembley is massive for us. You have to be patient and do your job every day and then the success will come.”

Talk has swiftly turned to the future and more especially that of several key players whose deals expire next month, with Rory McArdle, James Meredith, Mark Marshall and Tony McMahon among those whose contracts end.

Clarity is expected to be provided shortly, and while refusing to go into specific details, Rupp is hopeful that City will keep their side together as they begin to plot a path for next season and push for the top two.

On the club’s desire to hold onto their leading lights, he added: “Of course. If you saw the squad on Saturday, it was worth keeping them together.”